96% of our cardboard is now FSC certified and we’ll reach 100% by the end of 2025
-27T of shrink-wrap film on pallets by 2021 and -15T of plastic trays and blisters by the end of 2023
All black plastics are now prohibited
Our vision
No Waste, All Taste. We want packaging to guarantee safe, fresh and convenient products to our customers while minimizing our waste footprint.
A FEW KEY FACTS
Cardboard is our core packaging and represents 85% of the packaging we use. We use 12% plastic packaging and 3% paper packaging.
✔ 99,8% of our cardboard packaging is recyclable
✔ 91% of our plastic packaging is recyclable
✔ 87% of our paper packaging is recyclable
Our Objectives
Reduce
- Reduce the weight of each packaging component
- Reduce the number of components in our packaging system
- Adapt our products and packaging sizes to reduce the impact of transport
Recycle
- Improve recyclability of our packaging: plastic colour, type, materials combination
- Switch from plastic to cardboard, or paper-based material
- Strict policy of material with existing way of recycling
Re-use
- Foster the use of recycled materials: plastic and cardboards
- Work together with our suppliers on adapted recycled materials
- Increase the part of reusable packaging in our supply chain
First and next steps
Reduce
Recycle
98% of our packaging is recyclable and we’ll reach 100% recyclable packaging by 2025
100% of our rigid plastic is now recyclable
Re-use
Today, 83% of our packaging is based on recycled materials
We will continue to work with our suppliers to maintain the part of recycled fibre in cardboard and increase the use of recycled plastics as food safety allows.
Discover our 3 pillars in video
Reduce
Recycle
Re-use
Interview of Richard Vaughan - Compliance Director
1/ How is Délifrance doing in terms of sustainable packaging today ?
Our priority is to ensure that our packaging delivers our products to customers in a safe, intact and convenient format but it is now important that the packaging has the smallest environment impact as possible.
The teams have been working on the sustainability of our packaging for several years and the situation today is positive. 88% of our packaging is paper or cardboard based which both use recycled content and can in turn be recycled. We are also working to ensure that the origin of cardboard or paper is sourced from a sustainable source. Our current focus is on plastic packaging with the minimization of the plastic used and the utilization of recyclable polymers.
2/ Délifrance is committed to having 100% sustainable packaging by 2025: what does it mean exactly ?
We have adopted the 3 R’s:
-
-
- Reduce
-
Minimize the weight (gauge) of all packaging elements to the minimum while maintaining their integrity to deliver our products safe and intact to our customers.
Minimize the size of the packaging to enable the maximum to be transported.
-
-
- Re-Use
-
We are working to ensure that we are utilizing the maximum amount of recycled content within our packaging considering the type of packaging and any food safety risk.
Our cardboard boxes are produced from 100% certified sustainable cardboard and are 100% recyclable.
-
-
- Recycle
-
As mentioned earlier; we are currently working to ensure that all of our plastic packaging is recyclable.
We are eliminating non-recyclable polystyrene and complex plastics and replacing with cardboard or mono-polymer plastics which are recyclable.
Our aim is that we will be only utilizing recyclable packaging globally by latest 2025 and we are on track to achieve this within our European factories by 2022.
3/ What are the challenges that you face ?
Our packaging is principally there to ensure that our product is delivered to our customer safe, intact and in a suitable format for them to use; so when we make any packaging changes we need to ensure that these requirements are fulfilled.
Food safety is therefore a significant consideration especially when utilizing packaging which contains recycled materials due to the potential risk of toxic chemicals migrating into the product. Internationally requirements also have to be confirmed as there are specific country regulations and even customer requirements which need to be considered in our packaging.
Interview of Maya Ferdi - Packaging & third-party purchasing manager
1/ How does Délifrance take sustainability into account when it comes to packaging?
This is not a new topic for Délifrance. We’ve been working on sustainable packaging for many years. Our teams have been developing new sustainable packaging that doesn’t affect the customer’s experience with solutions that fulfill their primary purpose of safeguarding the product’s quality and complying with food safety standards.
Sustainability is an integral part of our approach through the use of recyclable packaging made with recycled materials.
As a result, 98% of our packaging is recyclable, and 83% of our packaging is made using recycled materials. Our current challenge is to shift our complex plastic packaging to mono-material plastic.
2/ What kind of relationship do you have with your suppliers?
We see our suppliers as trusted partners, and together we have been building a healthy and cross-functional relationship. Together we are facing the unprecedented challenges that the packaging industry is going through. We combine our expertise and know-how to find the most suitable solutions in terms of robustness, food safety, sustainability and cost-efficiency.
We also actively monitor innovation across the food packaging industry, as it is essential to nourish our thinking and develop tomorrow’s sustainable solutions.
3/ Délifrance operates in many countries around the world, do you see any difference in terms of customers’ requests?
Packaging sustainability is a big challenge for the food industry worldwide, and it requires people at every level to become aware of the issue. Our customers are increasingly demanding when it comes to sustainability. We are all aligned and can count on their collaboration to achieve this common goal, bearing in mind the food safety and technical requirements that our products might need. They even inspire us to explore new paths.
Moreover, food safety has been one of our customers’ key concerns since the beginning of this unprecedented health crisis related to COVID. Packaging plays a big role in protecting the product and reassuring customers that our products are safe to eat.
OUR NEWS
OUR GO CLEAN APPROACH
Délifrance starts a new journey.
A journey to bring you both delicious and better products.
Discover our Go Clean approach.